NEW PRODUCTS - GME MT406G EPIRB

Back in 2004, Australia’s GME said it revolutionised the marine safety world with the award-winning MT400 406MHz EPIRB. The MT400 concept, evolutionary design and price-point it said set a new standard in beacon design and became the benchmark to which all other manufactures aspired.

Now six years later GME says it has once again upped the ante with the introduction of the MT406G, a totally compliant Class 2 EPIRB (manually activated) with a fully integrated 16-channel GPS receiver for the recommended retail price of $569 (inc. GST).

The key benefits of a GPS equipped EPIRB, are faster detection by the geo-stationary satellites, typically less than 10 minutes anywhere in Australia or NZ. Non GPS beacons using low-earth-orbiting satellites can take up to two hours to detect an emergency signal depending on the time of day and position, GME said.

The second and arguably the most important attribute of a GPS equipped EPIRB like the MT406G is the accuracy of the beacons position. By transmitting latitude and longitudinal coordinates as part of the emergency message, search-and-rescue authorities can pinpoint the distress message down to around 100m, as opposed to 2.7nm (5km) with a standard non-GPS EPIRB.

"In a true emergency scenario, this combination of rapid alerting and a precise location could well be the difference between successful rescue and a family tragedy," said GME.

The manufacturer says the MT406G utilises the latest microprocessor-based technology, is engineered to the exacting Australian/NZ 4280.1 EPIRB standard, and is backed by GME’s six-year warranty.

The MT406G will be available from mid-September through GME’s national distribution network.